Shojiro Arima
Arima Shojiro (Shojiro Arima) is a young minor-nobleman hailing from the Eastern Kingdom. He currently serves the East as an Imperial Guard, making sure that the Palace, the Empress, and the Royal Family is safe at all times. He is quite young for an Imperial Guardsman, and can be thought of as inexperienced and unsuited for the job by some due to his age. He can be usually seen patrolling the streets or guarding the palace, doing his job dutifully. Shojiro is extremely loyal to the Eastern throne, going so far as to throw away his life for the Empress if needed. Appearance Shojiro has a more tanned complexion and stands at 5'11, above average height. Albeit having a somewhat lean body type, he can still deliver strikes with power and efficiency. He is quick on his feet, his years of training allowing him to be agile. Clothing & Armor He usually wears a black kimono with a black haori accompanied by a light blue hakama when off duty or when he is simply patrolling the streets when there is no need for armor to be worn. When on duty, he wears his armor which comprises of leather bracers, pauldrons, a chest plate, and shin and leg guards. Alongside his armor, Shojiro wears a kabuto into battle with a menpo attached to it. He never wears his helmet unless he's heading to a battlefield or a dangerous area that would require him to wear head protection. Biography Early Life Shojiro was born into a minor upper-middle class noble family of swordsmen that had served the Eastern throne since the beginning of the Eastern Empire, having provided the East with many skilled swordsmen for their military, Shojiro and his brothers were the next batch. From an early age, Shojiro trained side by side with his brothers Tatsumi, Jouichirou, and his father, Shouichirou to learn the way of the blade. Tatsumi at the time was 21, and had became an Ejiki in the Eastern Military. He was slained by a criminal during a chase, this propelled Shojiro to train even harder so that he wouldn't end up like his brother. In his spare time he studied and learned to read and write under his uncle, his mentor and a scholar. He would also play with Jouichirou, the two of them usually playing pranks on their older sister or tagging along with their father when he went into town. They'd also commonly fight with wooden swords, pretending that one or the other was a great Eastern hero and the other a dangerous villain who needed to be stopped in order for the East to be safe. Military Career By the age of 16, Shojiro had become a fine, skilled swordsman. Having been refined into a polite, calm, and respectful young man. He was now his father's heir, due to his older brother having died years before. He looked forward to joining the Eastern Army, feeling that it was his duty to continue his family's service to the throne and the Eastern Kingdom, albeit their service and family being quite unnoticed. He'd continue to train and refine his technique even more for another four years in preparation for his service. When he was 20, he enlisted and became a Hodan, spending another year of training and learning to become a guard. Shojiro was selected to become an Imperial Guard at the age of 25 and went through more extensive training to better himself and prepare for his new duty. The Present At the age of 21, Shojiro met Song. The two had got off on the wrong foot, but eventually had bonded over time and became friends. Shojiro met and befriended many people in the East, many of which are his comrades in arms. Most days, Shojiro patrols the Eastern Kingdom and always will somehow get drawn into the most meager of issues. Through this, he learned that becoming well acquainted with some people and life as a guard has its downsides and benefits. He now waits and sees what the future will have in hold for him. Shojiro hopes to have a better future than the one he sees in his head. He will continue serving the East until his retirement or death, the latter he slightly wishes doesn't happen. He is also planning on persuading his brother to join him in the near future.